Dueling DIY

In early 2013, I was just minding my own business when my friend Kit (the incredible DIYdiva) started talking smack. She and I were going to battle in the ultimate staircase showdown, each remodeling our staircases, and would keep you guys updated each week as we made progress. One would ultimately be crowned the winner, and neither one was going to sit by while the other opened a case of DIY whoopass.

Or something like that.

In truth, we were both stuck in the same common renovation loop. I tend to work on whatever grabs my attention on a given day (I call it Project A.D.D.), which is exactly why my house is a mess and no one can come over for movie night (because all of my tools are still on the couch). But what if a project could actually be started and finished? What if my projects were held accountable by someone else?

The concept was fun, and with its success, I turned a corner: having a little friendly competition with someone who shared my love of home renovation was the perfect way to keep me on task. Especially if that meant having to post about it each week on a schedule, progress or no progress – in front of all of our readers to see. We even invited other renovators to tag along and share their own progress. As an added bonus, if any of them actually finished their stairs, Kit and I could then claim victory, even if ours were left in both the literal and figurative dust. Hey, at least someone’s project was completed, right?

This year, I’ve decided to take this project idea to the next level and do even more Dueling DIY challenges with fellow bloggers. In each room challenge, I’ll have a co-host and invite others to link up their related projects (within the same space, of course). It’s fun, it keeps me focused, and best of all: I get to see some awesome before and afters and paint a hammer gold (for the trophy, obviously). I hope you join in on our fun and follow along.